Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

Sugar is Sweet

and

So Are You.

Sound familiar? So how did the custom of giving valentines begin in the United States?

Here are a couple of details I found in an old encyclopedia about the giving of valentines to friends and loved ones.

Entrepreneur Esther Howland (1828-1904) is remembered as the "mother of American valentines".  Around 1850, Howland started her profitable business of marketing valentine cards from Woster, Massachusetts.  The popular custom of giving cards to friends and loved ones on February 14 spread across America.

Many rural and country schools celebrated Valentine's Day with handmade Valentine boxes and cards for classmates and teacher.

Here are some fun valentines from my husband David’s grade school days. There is also an advertisement from the February, 1977 Kitchen Klatter magazine.

Homemakers must have appreciated the Kitchen Klatter bleach and blue drops Laundry detergent for Monday wash days!